WHILE Padraig Harrington mounted something of a one-man charge for the locals in the morning of the European's first day, Paul McGinley led the rest of the Irish home with a two-under 70 that left him nicely poised at the right end of the pack.
The 29-year-old Dubliner had good reason to look pleased as he wandered away from the 18th green, where a solid, 40-foot eagle putt set up his fifth birdie of a round played in conditions far harsher than his fellow countryman had so successfully overcome several hours earlier.
"It was," he said "a good round to play in any conditions, but I'm very happy to have managed it out there."
Already two under at the turn, it was with his irons that the Austrian Open champion was doing his best work. But errors with a six-iron at the 11th, and then a five-iron at the 12th (particularly the latter where he hooked into the water and did well to escape with just one shot dropped), appeared, for a while, to have undone the earlier achievements.
At the tough 16th, though, he avoided the difficulties endured by so many others before sinking a 15-foot putt for a fine birdie, and he completed a good day's work in front of the clubhouse where a long drive and good three-iron yielded the chance to pick up another stroke.
One shot behind McGinley after yesterday's first round was Des Smyth, who overcame a shaky start to come home in 71, a score equal led by Headfort club professional Brendan McGovern.
But for Eamonn Darcy it was over the closing holes that an otherwise solid round unravelled slightly. About to putt from three feet at the 14th, the Wicklowman became distracted by a television camerawoman a few feet behind him, and, having missed there, he found it difficult to recover his concentration before shooting into the water at the 15th on the way to a double bogey.
"People might say that you ought not to lose your composure over something like that, but I did and it completely sickened me. I was happy enough up to that and it completely ruined the day," said a clearly angry Darcy after complaining to tournament officials about the incident.
Jimmy Heggarty also slipped up on the way back in. The 40-year-old from Antrim overshot the eighth (his 17th) with a seven-iron, and then hit a tree with his tee shot at the next to end up on 72 when, as he remarked, "Two holes out I thought a 70 was going to be no problem at all."
